Charity Cases: How Fans of Fictional Realms Are Giving Back in the Real World

By Erik Henriksen03.29.139:30 AM

Doctor Who returns this weekend, bringing along his latest companion, his newest enemies, and his longstanding belief that intellect and romance can overcome brute force and cynicism.

Considering the good Doctor’s ethos, it’s no surprise Doctor Who star Matt Smith recently stopped by Red Nose Day, the admirable, long-running, moderately excruciating telethon. Red Nose Day raised over $100 million for Comic Relief, which funds charities in the U.K. and Africa. Doctor Who has lent its support to the organization before, and it’s pretty remarkable to see someone we recognize as a guy who zips around time and space, doing fictional good deeds help make the real world a better place.

The world of geekdom and charity often intersect. From the Harry Potter Alliance, which promotes literacy and civic engagement, to Child’s Play, which brings videogames into children’s hospitals, there’s no shortage of altruistic organizations harnessing geeks’ passion and connectivity.

“I believe that people are inherently good. More than that, I think everyone wants to do good,” said author Patrick Rothfuss.

Rothfuss, the author of the bestselling fantasy novels The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear, runs Worldbuilders. He created the organization to raise money for Heifer International, which provides animals like cows, bees and goats to people in developing nations. He believes the geek community can do more good than most.

“We’re an imaginative bunch,” he says. “That makes it easier for us to be empathetic toward our fellow humans. Also, a lot of us were ostracized or picked on when we were young. I think getting a taste of that early in your life encourages you to be more compassionate to your fellow humans later on.”

Rothfuss runs an annual Worldbuilders fundraiser, which features prizes like autographed books, and promises to match every donation. Proceeds from his online store also support Worldbuilders. It all started in 2008, shortly after The Name of the Wind became a massive hit.

“I hoped we might raise $5,000 by the end of the month,” he said. “But we hit $5,000 in three days. By the end of the month, we’d raised over $55,000. The matching donation completely cleaned me out.”

It’s only gotten bigger. In 2012, Worldbuilders raised $600,000 for Heifer International. Over the past four years, it’s raised about $1.7 million. That’s a lot of goats —and a lot of work. Not that Rothfuss has any plans to stop. “I could never stop doing Worldbuilders,” he says. “I spend a lot of time building imaginary worlds, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about the real one.”

Cloud City Garrison is the Portland, Oregon chapter of the 501st Legion, the Star Wars costuming organization that, worldwide, boasts over 10,000 members, many of whom sweat under plastic helmets for a good cause.

“If the cause is really great, people will rally to make it happen,” commanding officer Steven Squire said. That means blood drives and walk-a-thons, not to mention afternoons with special-needs children or helping a military dad provide an amazing homecoming for his Star Wars-crazed son.

“We don’t accept any payment for appearing, but ask the requester to make a donation to one of our preferred charities,” Squire said. In 2012, the Cloud City Garrison held more than 73 events, 50 of which brought in charitable donations. The garrison raised more than $9,000.

“It’s great to see the generosity that some people have,” said Squire, who, depending upon the day, dresses as Boba Fett or stormtrooper TK-502. “Those kinds of things really help you get through the long drives, uncomfortable costumes, and lost Saturday afternoons. It’s all worth it.”

Worth it not only for stormtroopers, but Jedi, too. The Empire-leaning Cloud City Garrison works with Kashyyyk Base, the local Rebel Legion chapter, on every event.

“I think the 501st Legion has more visibility as an organization,” Squire added. “But in many areas, both groups work together.”

Serenity was not a financial success. Sure, writer and director Joss Whedon went on to direct a little flick called The Avengers, but the big-screen follow-up to his cancelled television sci-fi western Firefly was a flop at the box office. Still, the show’s hardcore fans, who call themselves Browncoats, saw it. A lot. And a charity was born.

“With Serenity failing at the box office, local fans were going pretty routinely. Weekly, really,” says Christopher Frankonis, a scholar of all things Whedon better known by his online handle, The One True b!X. “On the way home from one of these second-run viewings, we were discussing how to see it yet again. So I suggested that perhaps we could convince a theater to hold a charity screening.”

Frankonis said it took “maybe 30 seconds” for the idea to grow into something bigger. “At that point,” he says, “it just became a matter of convincing everyone else.”

That was not a problem.

“We had 42 screenings last year, and we’ll probably pick up a few more [this year],” said Dave Catoe, global coordinator of Can’t Stop the Serenity. “Most events draw at least 200 people, so you’re talking about 8,000 Browncoats, maybe more, raising money for charity.”

Since the annual screenings began in 2006, Can’t Stop the Serenity has raised more than $800,000. Most of it has gone to Equality Now, an organization focused on advancing women’s rights. The remainder goes to charities selected by local organizers.

“Part of what I think happened in this particular fandom is that the loss of the show so early on left fans with nothing new to speak of, except what they offered to each other,” Frankonis says. “And the energy of maintaining those fandom circles became this whole other thing. Fans without a show can either become merely insular and masturbatory, or can look outside themselves.”

SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on Friday ordered missile units to prepare to strike U.S. mainland and military bases, vowing to “settle accounts” after U.S. stealth bombers flew over South Korea.

The order came after U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, with tensions soaring on the Korean peninsula, said Washington would not be cowed by Pyongyang’s bellicose threats and stood ready to respond to “any eventuality.”

Kim directed his rocket units on standby at an overnight emergency meeting with top army commanders, hours after nuclear-capable U.S. B-2 stealth bombers were deployed in ongoing U.S. joint military drills with South Korea.

In the event of any “reckless” U.S. provocation, North Korean forces should “mercilessly strike the U.S. mainland ... military bases in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in South Korea,” he was quoted as saying by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Although North Korea has no proven ability to conduct such strikes, Kim said, “The time has come to settle accounts with the U.S. imperialists.”

The youthful leader argued that the stealth bomber flights went beyond a simple demonstration of force and amounted to a U.S. “ultimatum that they will ignite a nuclear war at any cost”.

A South Korean military official quoted by Yonhap news agency said a “sharp increase” in personnel and vehicle movement had been detected at the North’s mid- and long-range missile sites. The defense ministry declined to confirm the report, saying only that all strategic sites in the North were under intense South Korean and U.S. surveillance.

The B-2 flights, which followed training runs by B-52 bombers, were part of annual drills between the United States and South Korea, which North Korea each year denounces as rehearsals for war. Pyongyang has been particularly vocal this time, angered by U.N. sanctions imposed after its long-range rocket launch in December and the third nuclear test it carried out last month.

Kim’s order formalized steps already taken by the Korean People’s Army (KPA), which put its strategic rocket units at combat-ready status on Tuesday. The following day, it cut the last remaining military hotline with South Korea.

China, North Korea’s sole major ally and biggest trading partner, appealed for calm and said “joint efforts” were needed from all parties to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.

The bulk of the threats emanating from Pyongyang have been dismissed as bluster. North Korea has no confirmed missile capability to reach the U.S. mainland — or indeed Guam or Hawaii in the Pacific. But Washington has opted to match the threats with its own muscle-flexing.

“We will be prepared — we have to be prepared — to deal with any eventuality,” Hagel told reporters at the Pentagon. “We must make clear that these provocations by the North are taken by us very seriously, and we’ll respond to that,” Hagel said.

U.S. military intelligence has noted that the North’s warlike rhetoric has not, so far, been matched by any overtly provocative troop build-up. Present at the emergency meeting convened by Kim in Pyongyang were the KPA chief of general staff, director of operations and commander of strategic rocket operations.

KCNA provided an unusually precise timing for the meeting of 12:30 a.m. (1530 GMT Thursday), in an apparent effort to underline the urgency and import of Kim’s order. But analysts warned against reading too much into what is the latest in a long series of incremental rhetorical upgrades.

“It shouldn’t be taken to mean war is imminent,” said Kim Yong-Hyun, a North Korea expert at Dongguk University. “It’s an inevitable and calibrated reaction to the B-2 deployment, and this who-blinks-first game with the United States will continue for a while yet.”

The North’s official Uriminzokkiri website posted an animated propaganda video showing a North Korean missile shooting down a U.S. B-52 bomber, which then crashes on South Korea with its nuclear payload detonating on impact. “It’s not a nuclear umbrella but nuclear rain that the U.S. will pour down on the South,” read an accompanying caption.

North Korea has revealed its plans to strike targets in Hawaii and the continental United States in photos taken in Kim Jong-un's military command centre.

By Julian Ryall, Tokyo12:08PM GMT 29 Mar 2013

The photos appeared in the state-run Rodong newspaper and were apparently taken at an "emergency meeting" early on Friday morning. They show Kim signing the order for North Korea's strategic rocket forces to be on standby to fire at US targets, the paper said, with large-scale maps and diagrams in the background.

The images show a chart marked "US mainland strike plan" and missile trajectories that the NK News web site estimates terminate in Hawaii, Washington DC, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas.

Amid the changing security situation in East Asia, Japan should be equipped with more flexible and integrated defense capabilities and enhanced coordination among the Self-Defense Forces, the Japan Coast Guard and the U.S. military, according to the 2013 East Asian Strategic Review released Friday.

The annual report, published by the National Institute for Defense Studies Japan, emphasizes that the National Defense Program Guidelines set in 2010 should be revised to address security conditions in East Asia made more volatile by North Korea’s aggressive pursuit of nuclear weapons and China’s military modernization.

The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has already said it will review the 2010 guidelines and abolish another midterm defense guideline for fiscal 2011 to fiscal 2015.

The think tank’s report recommends that new defense guidelines focus on more mobile deployment of the SDF to enhance the so-called Dynamic Defense.

The concept was introduced in the 2010 guidelines to pursue flexible SDF deployment capabilities necessary for more intense conflicts, including China’s militaristic rise. The need for such a capability was also made clear in the response to the March 11, 2011, disasters.

Especially regarding the defense of remote islands, the report emphasizes that Japan should have a comprehensive grasp of expected situations and clearly define the role of the SDF.

One focus should be strengthening the SDF’s amphibious capability through joint drills with the U.S. military at U.S. bases such as in Guam, said the institute, which is the Defense Ministry’s core policy research arm.

The government has already earmarked ¥10 billion in the fiscal 2013 budget to purchase four amphibious vehicles, but even if this equipment is procured the SDF will still lack the capability for amphibious assault operations.

While information and surveillance capabilities have been enhanced recently, aerial defense needs further beefing up, the report says.

It also says the Air Self-Defense Force should add a fighter squadron to defend the southwest islands, including the Senkakus where Chinese activity has been intense.

(Reuters) - Egyptian prosecutors questioned Egypt's most prominent television satirist on Sunday over allegations he insulted the president and Islam, a case that has increased opposition fears of a crackdown on dissent.

Bassem Youssef rose to fame after the uprising that swept Hosni Mubarak from power in 2011, with a satirical online show. His program, that has been compared to the Daily Show of U.S. satirist Jon Stewart, is now broadcast on Egyptian TV.

The comedian is accused, among other things, of undermining the standing of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. The prosecutor general issued an arrest warrant for him on Saturday after at least four legal complaints filed by Mursi supporters.

An official in the prosecutor general's office confirmed that questioning had begun. Youssef voluntarily showed up at the prosecutor general's office on Sunday, so as to avoid arrest.

He was wearing an oversized version of a graduation hat modeled on one donned by the president when he was awarded an honorary degree in Pakistan earlier in March.

Youssef has worn the hat on his widely-watched show, one of many satirical jabs at the president. Last year, he poked fun of Mursi's repeated use of the word "love" by singing a love song to a red pillow with the president's face printed on it.

The questioning of the comedian has raised fears over freedom expression in the post-Mubarak Egypt.

"It is an escalation in an attempt to restrict space for critical expression," said Heba Morayef, Egypt director at Human Rights Watch.

Prominent liberal politician Mohamed ElBaradei said it was the kind actions only seen in "fascist regimes". "It is the continuation of the failed and ugly moves to thwart the revolution," he said.

Youssef's questioning came after the prosecutor general issued five arrest warrants for prominent political activists accused of inciting violence against the Muslim Brotherhood, the group that propelled Mursi to power in last year's election.

The prosecutor's office has also summoned several other prominent media figures for questioning over accusations they insulted the president.

Opposition figures say the prosecutor, Talaat Ibrahim, is biased towards Mursi, who appointed him last November, and they want him removed from office.

A court ruled last week that Ibrahim's appointment was illegal and that he must step down. Ibrahim, who denies any bias, plans to appeal the ruling.

A few notes about this document just released by North Korean state media.

First, North and South Korea have technically been at a state of war since the Korean War began six decades ago. So, while this “declaration of war” certainly sounds scary, the rhetoric alone does not change anything substantial.

Second, North Korea does not appear to have taken many concrete steps toward actual war. There have been no reports, for example, of the country massing its troops along the border. War is a big, complicated logistical undertaking, especially when you’re a particularly poor country trying to shuffle 1.1. million troops into place. They’re not exactly a lightening-response force.

And, third, the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a large facility staffed by South and North Korean workers just on the northern side of the border, is still running smoothly, according to Reuters. As I wrote earlier, the fact that North Korea is bothering to keep Kaesong open suggests that it does not think war will actually break out, which would seem to bolster skepticism about whether or not it has any intention of following through on its war threats.

Update: Early on Saturday, North Korea threatened to close the Kaesong complex, though it has not done so yet. According to the A.P., North Korea’s announcement specifically challenged media reports that its decision to keep the plant open was a sign of its unseriousness.

OK, the full declaration is below. It’s typical, chest-thumping North Korean rhetoric that hits the usual points. Do try to hang on until the end, if you can; it’s a real roller-coaster ride of a propaganda piece. No one brandishes adjectives and verbs with more earnest fervor than North Korea’s state media. We hope everyone is enjoying this “sacred war of justice” so far!

The moves of the U.S. imperialists to violate the sovereignty of the DPRK and encroach upon its supreme interests have entered an extremely grave phase. Under this situation, the dear respected Marshal Kim Jong Un, brilliant commander of Mt. Paektu, convened an urgent operation meeting on the performance of duty of the Strategic Rocket Force of the Korean People’s Army for firepower strike and finally examined and ratified a plan for firepower strike.

The important decision made by him is the declaration of a do-or-die battle to provide an epochal occasion for putting an end to the history of the long-standing showdown with the U.S. and opening a new era. It is also a last warning of justice served to the U.S., south Korean group and other anti-reunification hostile forces. The decision reflects the strong will of the army and people of the DPRK to annihilate the enemies.

Now the heroic service personnel and all other people of the DPRK are full of surging anger at the U.S. imperialists’ reckless war provocation moves, and the strong will to turn out as one in the death-defying battle with the enemies and achieve a final victory of the great war for national reunification true to the important decision made by Kim Jong Un.

The Supreme Command of the KPA in its previous statement solemnly declared at home and abroad the will of the army and people of the DPRK to take decisive military counteraction to defend the sovereignty of the country and the dignity of its supreme leadership as regards the war moves of the U.S. and south Korean puppets that have reached the most extreme phase.

Not content with letting B-52 make sorties into the sky over south Korea in succession despite the repeated warnings of the DPRK, the U.S. made B-2A stealth strategic bomber and other ultra-modern strategic strike means fly from the U.S. mainland to south Korea to stage a bombing drill targeting the DPRK. This is an unpardonable and heinous provocation and an open challenge.

By taking advantage of the U.S. reckless campaign for a nuclear war against the DPRK, the south Korean puppets vociferated about “preemptive attack” and “strong counteraction” and even “strike at the commanding forces”, openly revealing the attempt to destroy monuments symbolic of the dignity of the DPRK’s supreme leadership.

This clearly shows that the U.S. brigandish ambition for aggression and the puppets’ attempt to invade the DPRK have gone beyond the limit and their threats have entered the reckless phase of an actual war from the phase of threat and blackmail.

The prevailing grim situation more clearly proves that the Supreme Command of the KPA was just when it made the judgment and decision to decisively settle accounts with the U.S. imperialists and south Korean puppets by dint of the arms of Songun, because time when words could work has passed.

Now they are openly claiming that the B-2A stealth strategic bombers’ drill of dropping nuclear bombs was “not to irritate the north” but “the defensive one”. The U.S. also says the drill is “to defend the interests of its ally”. However, it is nothing but a lame pretext to cover up its aggressive nature, evade the denunciation at home and abroad and escape from the DPRK’s retaliatory blows.

The era when the U.S. resorted to the policy of strength by brandishing nuclear weapons has gone.

It is the resolute answer of the DPRK and its steadfast stand to counter the nuclear blackmail of the U.S. imperialists with merciless nuclear attack and their war of aggression with just all-out war.

They should clearly know that in the era of Marshal Kim Jong Un, the greatest-ever commander, all things are different from what they used to be in the past.

The hostile forces will clearly realize the iron will, matchless grit and extraordinary mettle of the brilliant commander of Mt. Paektu that the earth cannot exist without Songun Korea.

Time has come to stage a do-or-die final battle.

The government, political parties and organizations of the DPRK solemnly declare as follows reflecting the final decision made by Kim Jong Un at the operation meeting of the KPA Supreme Command and the unanimous will of all service personnel and people of the DPRK who are waiting for a final order from him.

1.From this moment, the north-south relations will be put at the state of war and all the issues arousing between the north and the south will be dealt with according to the wartime regulations.

The state of neither peace nor war has ended on the Korean Peninsula.

Now that the revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK have entered into an actual military action, the inter-Korean relations have naturally entered the state of war. Accordingly, the DPRK will immediately punish any slightest provocation hurting its dignity and sovereignty with resolute and merciless physical actions without any prior notice.

2. If the U.S. and the south Korean puppet group perpetrate a military provocation for igniting a war against the DPRK in any area including the five islands in the West Sea of Korea or in the area along the Military Demarcation Line, it will not be limited to a local war, but develop into an all-out war, a nuclear war.

It is self-evident that any military conflict on the Korean Peninsula is bound to lead to an all-out war, a nuclear war now that even U.S. nuclear strategic bombers in its military bases in the Pacific including Hawaii and Guam and in its mainland are flying into the sky above south Korea to participate in the madcap DPRK-targeted nuclear war moves.

The first strike of the revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK will blow up the U.S. bases for aggression in its mainland and in the Pacific operational theatres including Hawaii and Guam and reduce not only its military bases in south Korea but the puppets’ ruling institutions including Chongwadae and puppet army’s bases to ashes at once, to say nothing of the aggressors and the provokers.

3. The DPRK will never miss the golden chance to win a final victory in a great war for national reunification.

This war will not be a three day-war but it will be a blitz war through which the KPA will occupy all areas of south Korea including Jeju Island at one strike, not giving the U.S. and the puppet warmongers time to come to their senses, and a three-dimensional war to be fought in the air, land and seas and on the front line and in the rear.

This sacred war of justice will be a nation-wide, all-people resistance involving all Koreans in the north and the south and overseas in which the traitors to the nation including heinous confrontation maniacs, warmongers and human scum will be mercilessly swept away.

No force on earth can break the will of the service personnel and people of the DPRK all out in the just great war for national reunification and of all other Koreans and overpower their might.

Holding in high esteem the peerlessly great men of Mt. Paektu, the Korean people will give vent to the pent-up grudge and realize their cherished desire and thus bring a bright day of national reunification and build the best power on this land without fail.

The album was signed by the Fab Four in 1967, and shattered the previous selling price for such an item.

Even Lucy and her diamonds can't compete with these riches. A rare, signed copy of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has brought $290,500 at auction, shattering the previous record for such an item.

The item signed by all four members of the legendary band was purchased Saturday by an unnamed buyer from the Midwest. An anonymous seller parted with the album through the Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, which ahead of the bidding estimated the album would sell for $30,000.

The Fab Four are believed to have signed the cover near the June 1967 release of Sgt. Pepper's. The previous record for a signed Beatles album cover was the $150,000 paid for a copy of Meet the Beatles.

Ahead of the auction, Beatles expert Perry Cox said of the piece: "With my being thoroughly immersed in Beatles collectibles for over 30 years, it takes something extraordinarily special to excite me, but I consider this to be one of the top two items of Beatles memorabilia I've ever seen - the other being a signed copy of Meet The Beatles."

The album is a U.K. Parlophone copy with a high gloss cover and gatefold.